Watch Dandy

Watches. Turns out they’re not (just) for telling the time. As horology’s true believers (that is, you lot) will no doubt be aware, watches are more than mere objects. They’re a hobby, a community, and – depending on how far gone you are – a way of life. But this interest doesn’t come without its risks. Once it becomes known that you’re *into* watches, people will start asking you questions, sometimes in public settings. Picture the scene: You’re at a nice dinner party with some friends and vague acquaintances – I’m essentially imagining Cluedo (Clue, for our American friends). Your buddy, let’s call him Colonel Mustard, says, “I say, Professor Plum, why don’t you tell everyone about the watch on your wrist … how much did it cost again?” And rather than go all Professor Plum, in the library, with the Rolex, you tell a story. You know the story, the default ‘this is why I like watches’ story. We’ve all got one. So, in the interests of community service, we’re going to share ours. Justin’s Seiko in the rough This is an interesting one, as I try to avoid going down the watchgeek rabbit hole in most instances, unless…

The post LIST: The stories we tell – 5 dinner party watch anecdotes appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

Editor’s note: In case you missed it, this week we were told that from 2020 onward, both Richard Mille and Audemars Piguet would no longer be showing at Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), as they shift their focus 100 per cent to their boutiques and customers, and look to spread their releases throughout the entire year. Well, needless to say, the news had us feeling a little down in the dumps. I’m not sure if this is going to help or hinder, but now seems as good a time as any to look back in delight at one of AP’s best: the Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked. One of the finest openworked watches on the market right now (and one that, paradoxically, didn’t make our list of skeletonised watches) is the Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked from Audemars Piguet. Visually, this pink gold case with predominantly steel movement architecture is everything you’d expect — that classic RO case and bracelet looking boss, with a deep, complex openworked dial. And while legibility is the main concern here (there’s not a heap of contrast between the movement and those gold hands, compared to earlier versions with a grey movement…

The post EDITOR’S PICK: Are you as sad as us to see Audemars Piguet leave SIHH? Maybe this will help appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.